Public Service Electric and Gas Company: generator, battery backup & CPAP rules
Service area: Serves much of central and northern New Jersey plus the Camden area, including Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Trenton and New Brunswick.
Meter collar transfer switches
Accepted
New Jersey law requires electric utilities to allow meter collar adapters that meet set conditions, and the state utility board approved PSE&G's tariff rules for them in June 2024. You must apply to PSE&G and get approval before installing one, a licensed electrician must install it, and PSE&G may charge you for any utility work the collar causes. PSE&G approves devices one model at a time and posts accepted ones on its new-service page; in 2026 that page listed the Tesla Backup Switch (for Powerwall, 120/240-volt single-phase service, meter sockets rated 100 to 200 amps, not 320 amps) and a ConnectDER adapter for solar. Only one adapter is allowed per meter, and adapters cannot be used if you have opted out of a smart meter.
- NJ Board of Public Utilities order accepting PSE&G meter collar tariff (Docket ET24020113, June 27, 2024)
- PSE&G Information and Requirements for Electric Service, Chapter 5 (Meter Collar Adapters)
- PSE&G: Tesla Powerwall w/ Backup Switch Meter Socket Adapter Usage Requirements (Sept. 6, 2024)
- PSE&G: ConnectDER Solar Meter Socket Adapter Usage Requirements
- PSE&G: Apply for New or Upgraded Electric or Gas Service (meter socket adapter list)
- NJ Dept. of Community Affairs guidance to electrical subcode officials on meter collar adapters (Oct. 10, 2024)
Generator and battery disconnect requirements
PSE&G says standby generators must be connected in a way PSE&G approves, and you should consult your local PSE&G wiring inspector. If a generator will not run in parallel with the grid, you must install equipment that prevents parallel operation, and the local PSE&G division must approve the design. Generators that do run in parallel need a way to disconnect automatically from PSE&G's system when power is lost. PSE&G's safety page says you are legally responsible for making sure your generator does not feed power back into its lines, and recommends a qualified electrician and a local inspection. Batteries and other grid-connected systems go through PSE&G's interconnection process, which lists energy storage as a resource type.
Gas meter upgrades for standby generators
Gas utility: PSE&G
PSE&G says residential and commercial customers must apply to PSE&G to add or increase gas service for a gas generator. You need the generator's specification sheet to apply, and gas generator projects can take up to six weeks. PSE&G's gas manual says installers must tell PSE&G before adding appliances so the service, meter and riser are big enough, and that charges may apply under PSE&G's gas tariff. We found no published flat fee for a generator meter upgrade.
Estimate your gas load with our gas meter calculator and read how gas meter sizing works.
Medical program for CPAP, BiPAP and oxygen users
- Program
- Life-Sustaining Equipment designation (Critical Care Program)
- What it provides
- Once PSE&G approves the form, your account is flagged as having life-sustaining equipment in the home. PSE&G will call you when severe weather makes outages likely and during outages in your area, but it says restoration times cannot be guaranteed. It is not a bill discount. Separately, a customer with a serious medical condition can submit a recent doctor's note, hospital discharge papers or home hospice paperwork to protect the account from shutoff for non-payment for up to 90 days.
- CPAP / BiPAP
- Not named. PSE&G's examples are a respirator or dialysis machine, and the form asks the medical professional for the equipment type and model.
- Renewal
- Every year, signed by the prescribing licensed medical professional.
Backup battery or generator programs
- Program
- None found
- What it provides
- We found no PSE&G backup battery or generator program or rebate for medical customers. PSE&G advises customers who use life-sustaining equipment to have a backup plan, such as a generator or another place with power.
Frequently asked questions
Does PSE&G allow meter collar transfer switches like the Tesla Backup Switch?
Accepted. New Jersey law requires electric utilities to allow meter collar adapters that meet set conditions, and the state utility board approved PSE&G's tariff rules for them in June 2024. You must apply to PSE&G and get approval before installing one, a licensed electrician must install it, and PSE&G may charge you for any utility work the collar causes. PSE&G approves devices one model at a time and posts accepted ones on its new-service page; in 2026 that page listed the Tesla Backup Switch (for Powerwall, 120/240-volt single-phase service, meter sockets rated 100 to 200 amps, not 320 amps) and a ConnectDER adapter for solar. Only one adapter is allowed per meter, and adapters cannot be used if you have opted out of a smart meter.
Does PSE&G have a program for customers who use a CPAP or other medical equipment?
Life-Sustaining Equipment designation (Critical Care Program): Once PSE&G approves the form, your account is flagged as having life-sustaining equipment in the home. PSE&G will call you when severe weather makes outages likely and during outages in your area, but it says restoration times cannot be guaranteed. It is not a bill discount. Separately, a customer with a serious medical condition can submit a recent doctor's note, hospital discharge papers or home hospice paperwork to protect the account from shutoff for non-payment for up to 90 days. Not named. PSE&G's examples are a respirator or dialysis machine, and the form asks the medical professional for the equipment type and model.
Does PSE&G offer backup batteries or generator rebates for medical customers?
We did not find a current backup battery or generator program for medical customers at PSE&G. We found no PSE&G backup battery or generator program or rebate for medical customers. PSE&G advises customers who use life-sustaining equipment to have a backup plan, such as a generator or another place with power.
How do I get a bigger gas meter for a standby generator in the PSE&G area?
PSE&G: PSE&G says residential and commercial customers must apply to PSE&G to add or increase gas service for a gas generator. You need the generator's specification sheet to apply, and gas generator projects can take up to six weeks. PSE&G's gas manual says installers must tell PSE&G before adding appliances so the service, meter and riser are big enough, and that charges may apply under PSE&G's gas tariff. We found no published flat fee for a generator meter upgrade.